Molecule 02

Ambroxan has a subtle sensual quality with a radiant, long-lasting drydown.

It is a crystal with a chemical structure identical to the ambrox derived from ambergris. For centuries ambergris was perhaps the most prized ingredient in perfumery. It is a somewhat mysterious substance expelled by the cachalot or sperm whale that only attains its fine scent after a long maturation floating in the ocean. Ambergris is rarely found these days, and the 'amber' in a modern fragrance will be a lab-created equivalent of some of the aroma-molecules that make up its scent. By far the finest of these is the nature-identical molecule, Ambroxan.

Ambergris was always valued for its refinement as well as its sensuality. This quality persists in Ambroxan. "It has a fresh, almost mineral quality," says perfumer Geza Schoen, "that lingers into the drydown".

Ambroxan was isolated from plant sources in 1950.